Shifting the Historical Narrative of the Banda Islands: from Colonial Violence to Local Resilience

The reality of the past is complex in its many facets and perspectives; however, dominant historical narratives have overtaken the representation of the past through a simplified version from a single (male / Eurocentric) perspective. Academics are complicit in this process, not only by emphasizing some types of (historic) source material over others, but also by claiming authority over the past. Sharing the authority to narrate the past and acknowledging traditional forms of knowledge is therefore a crucial step to allow uncertainty and polyvocality in the historical narrative.

This paper presents several examples from the Banda Islands in Maluku province in Indonesia to attest that, by placing contemporary perceptions of the past and local reiterations of history alongside colonial documentation, we can work towards a more decolonial practice of writing histories and managing cultural heritage. In the case of the Banda Islands, this means a shift from a colonial Eurocentric perspective that focuses on the Dutch aggressors and depicts the Bandanese people as victims, towards a narration of the past which centralizes the Bandanese heroes, religion, and their resilience.

Through this case study, I will illustrate the effect of decentralizing the Eurocentric perspective in historical practices which are rooted in colonial sources, and the potential of a more grassroots approach by tapping into the cultural archive. Our scholarly tasks are to actively listen, find the common points of interest or uncertainty, and present the polyvocal realities of the past.